The Wedding of River Song: Schedules Confirmed

Thursday, 22 September 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Doctor Who will go head to head with The X Factor, when the series finale is transmitted on Saturday 1st October.

The Wedding of River Song has been scheduled for 7.05pm on BBC One, directly following on from the first live Saturday show of this year's Strictly Come Dancing. The programme forms part of a double bill of fantasy on the channel with the story being followed by the season premier of Merlin.

Both are up against ITV1's biggest hitter in the form of The X Factor which starts at 7.30pm, half way through Doctor Who. The contest has reached the stage where celebrity guest stars will help whittle the number of contestants down from 32 to the final 16. The first half of Doctor Who will face All Star Family Fortunes, which just edged ahead of Doctor Who on overnight figures last week. This edition features Christopher Bisson of Emmerdale and McFly's Harry Judd.

Against the Doctor, BBC Two will be showing Frost on Nixon, not the film but an interview with TV presenter David Frost talking to broadcaster Joan Bakewell about his landmark interviews with former US president Richard Nixon. Channel 4 will be showing Channel 4 News followed by X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the 2009 spin-off prequel from the action fantasy X-Men series, starring Hugh Jackman. Channel Five will be showing the 1965 film Battle of the Bulge, starring Henry Fonda and Robert Shaw.
The Sarah Jane Adventures will return at 5.15pm on CBBC on Monday 3rd October, with episode two being shown at the same time on Tuesday.




FILTER: - Doctor Who - Series 6/32 - Sarah Jane - Broadcasting

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 Trailer

Tuesday, 20 September 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
CBBC has released a 40 second trailer for Series 5 of The Sarah Jane Adventures. The first two episodes of the final series, Sky, will broadcast on the CBBC channel on the 3rd and 4th of October. Times are still to be confirmed.


Exclusive series five trailer, BBC, via the CBBC Sarah Jane Adventures site - may not play outside of the United Kingdom




FILTER: - UK - Sarah Jane

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 - UK date

Thursday, 15 September 2011 - Reported by Harry Ward
Sarah Jane Adventures The BBC Press Office has confirmed that the first two episodes of Series 5 of The Sarah Jane Adventures, entitled Sky and written by Phil Ford, will broadcast on Monday 3 October and Tuesday 4 October on the CBBC Channel. The exact time is still to be confirmed.

**** THE FOLLOWING SYNOPSIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS



Alien investigator Sarah Jane Smith is back on CBBC with a fifth and final series of the award-winning The Sarah Jane Adventures, starring the late Elisabeth Sladen.

Created by Russell T Davies, the hugely successful Doctor Who spin-off returns for a brand-new, six-part series, featuring three stories, each told over two episodes. The first is the spectacular two-part story, Sky.

In today's episode, Sarah Jane finds a baby girl on her doorstep and tries to find out who abandoned her.

At a nearby nuclear power station, a beautiful woman appears out of thin air and uses alien powers to take control. She's looking for something – and realises that Sarah Jane may just have it...


**** THE FOLLOWING SYNOPSIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS



Today, Sky has undergone an amazing transformation, but in doing so has triggered a countdown that no one can stop.

As Sarah Jane and Sky find themselves trapped between the alien war fought by Metalkind and Fleshkind, Clyde and Rani face a race against time to stop the biggest bang in history...

A screening of the first two episodes will be shown at the BFI IMAX on 16th September at 6:30pm, with tickets now available to all. A Q&A with the cast and crew (subject to work commitments) will take place following the screening.





FILTER: - UK - Sarah Jane

Sarah Jane Screening - Now Open to All

Friday, 9 September 2011 - Reported by Marcus
Sarah Jane Adventures
Update: After some confusion in the BFI Box Office, we can confirm that restrictions have now been lifted.

The BFI has removed the restrictions on booking for the special preview of the new series of The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The screening, at the BFI IMAX, on 16th September at 6:30pm was originally restricted to adults accompanied by children. Tickets are now available to all.

Subject to work commitments, cast members Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer), Tommy Knight (Luke Smith), Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra), Sinead Michael and Phil Ford (co-producer and lead writer) will be present for a Q&A following the screening.

Tickets can be booked online.

With thanks to John Bowman





FILTER: - Special Events - Sarah Jane

UK DVD release update

Saturday, 3 September 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
2|Entertain have released cover art and content details for the forthcoming Series Six Part Two, due out on 10th October, and also details for The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Four (31st October).

Doctor Who Series Six (Part Two)
Release Date: 10th October 2011 (available for pre-order on DVD and Blu-ray)

Series Six Part Two Starring Matt Smith as The Doctor, with Karen Gillan as Amy and Arthur Darvill as Rory
Written by Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Tom MacRae, Toby Whithouse, Gareth Roberts
Directed by Richard Senior, Richard Clark, Nick Hurran, Steve Hughes, Jeremy Webb

Broadcast: 27th August - 1st October 2011


(synopsis includes unbroadcast episodes)


The truth about River Song is out and the time has come for the Doctor to face his greatest demons. Venturing across centuries and galaxies, the Doctor, Amy and Rory will encounter the greatest war criminal in all of history - and Hitler. Together, they'll discover there's no scarier place in the universe than a child's bedroom and a visit to an alien quarantine facility will reveal to Rory a very different side to his wife. In a hotel where walls move, corridors twist and rooms vanish, death lies waiting. But the Doctor's time has yet to come. He has one last stop to make on his final journey - an old friend needs his help and an old foe must be defeated. But time catches up with us all and the Doctor can delay no more.

By the shores of Lake Silencio, in Utah, all of time and space hang in the balance and a NASA astronaut is waiting...

Special Features
  • Monster Files: The Antibodies & The Cybermats
The Sarah Jane Adventures Series Four
Release Date: 31st October 2011 (available for pre-order on DVD and Blu-ray)

Series Six Part Two
Starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, Daniel Anthony as Clyde, Anjli Mohindra as Rani, Tommy Knight as Luke
Written by Joseph Lidster, Phil Ford, Russell T Davies, Gareth Roberts, Rupert Laight, Clayton Hickman
Directed by Joss Agnew, Ashley Way

Broadcast: 11th October - 16th November 2010


The fourth series provides ever more thrills and spills. In two special episodes written by Russell T Davies, Sarah Jane is reunited with another of The Doctor’s former companions, Jo Grant. They’re joined by The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) in an alien-busting adventure featuring brand-new vulture aliens, the mysterious Shansheeth and a trip to an alien planet. The series also features fun with enemies old and new, including the terrors of the Nightmare Man and a dangerous journey back into history.

Special Features
  • Pyramids of Mars - included as a tribute to Elisabeth Sladen who sadly passed away this year. Pyramids of Mars sees Sarah Jane Smith and the Doctor arrive at an old priory in the year 1911 where the owner, Marcus Scarman, has been excavating ancient tombs and soon becomes possessed by the spirit of Sutekh, bringer of 'the gift of death to all mankind'. Will Sutekh the all-powerful be freed from his bonds and destroy the world, or will the Doctor manage to bring about his destruction?




FILTER: - Merchandise - UK - Series 6/32 - Sarah Jane - Blu-ray/DVD

Sarah Jane Screening

Monday, 29 August 2011 - Reported by Marcus
The British Film Institute is to preview the final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures with an special family exclusive screening of the first story followed by a question and answer session.

The final six episodes of the series, made before the tragic death of series star Elisabeth Sladen, are due to be shown on CBBC this Autumn. In the first adventure, Sky, Sarah Jane discovers a mystery baby on her doorstep. But with explosions, power surges and reports of a Metal man falling from the sky, Sarah Jane is convinced that there's more to the baby than there first seemed.

The screening on 16th September at 6:30pm is a family event, so all adults must be accompanied by children (Max 2 adults per 1 child).

Tickets can only be booked from BFI IMAX Box Office by phone on 020 7199 6000 or in person at BFI IMAX.

Tickets are £9.50, £6.75 Concs (BFI Members pay £1.50 less)

Courtesy of CBBC and BBC Wales.


Just a reminder, brand manager Edward Russell will be walking for charity from next week in order to raise money for the Meadow House Hospice, who looked after actress Elisabeth Sladen.






FILTER: - Sarah Jane - Press

Elisabeth Sladen autobiography for November

Friday, 19 August 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Aurum Press have announced that the autobiography of Elisabeth Sladen will be published on 7th November 2011, following her life from her humble Liverpool beginnings through to a celebrated return as the popular sidekick to the Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, in her own series for CBBC.

When Elisabeth Sladen first appeared as plucky journalist Sarah Jane Smith in 1973 Doctor Who story The Time Warrior, little did she know the character would become one of the most enduring and fondly remembered in the series' history. The coming years would see her traverse time and space alongside classic Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, whilst a generation of children crouched behind the sofa, terrified but transfixed as their tea time heroine found herself menaced by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, man-eating alien flora, Egyptian mummies, extras in Bubble Wrap and even the Loch Ness Monster.

By the time she quit the TARDIS in 1976, making front page news, Elisabeth had become one of the most familiar faces of a TV golden age. But that wasn't the end of Sarah Jane. Since then Elisabeth has reprised the role many times appearing in anniversary specials; a 1981 spin-off with robotic sidekick K-9; radio plays; and for the BBC's Children in Need. She's toured the weird, wide and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom and regularly tops polls of fans' all time favourite companions. So when TV wunderkind Russell T. Davies approached her to come back again, this time to a Doctor Who backed by multi-million pound budgets and garlanded with critical plaudits, how could she possibly say no?

Now Elisabeth Sladen tells the story of her remarkable career: a unique, insider's view of the world's longest running science fiction series; and of British television yesterday and today. Funny, ridiculous, insightful and entertaining hers is the story of another girl, another planet. Elisabeth Sladen plays companion Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She has also appeared in Coronation Street, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and Z-Cars.

(available to pre-order from our Amazon Shop)

Originally slated for April, completion of the book was delayed through Sladen's illness and her untimely death earlier this year; it has now been completed with the support of her family. Her editor, Sam Harrison, reflected:
I remember my first meeting with Elisabeth – the hilarious and eye-opening stories she had to tell and my feeling of elation that she wanted to turn them into a book. Having grown up watching her as Sarah Jane Smith it was a personal dream come true. She was a fantastic person to work with – fun but utterly professional – and it’s incredibly sad that she’s no longer with us. I’m glad she had a chance to share some of her memories in this book. I hope it will make a fitting tribute to a great actress and a wonderful woman.

The final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is expected to be broadcast in the Autumn.





FILTER: - Auto/Biography - Books - Sarah Jane - Elisabeth Sladen

Sarah Jane Adventures titles announced

Saturday, 4 June 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures starring the late Elisabeth Sladen is expected to be shown during what has now become its 'traditional' month of October on CBBC and BBC1(HD), reports Doctor Who Magazine.

The titles of the three, two-part stories that make up the fifth series are Sky by Phil Ford, The Curse of Clyde Langer also by Phil Ford, and The Man Who Wasn't There by Gareth Roberts.

The series features the regular team of Daniel Anthony as Clyde and Anjli Mohindra as Rani, with Tommy Knight returning properly as Luke for the final story. Other guest stars announced for this series include Peter Bowles, Christine Stephen-Daly and James Dreyfus. It was produced as part of the same recording schedule as series four by Brian Minchin.


The BBC will be launching a new theme to their Sarah Jane Academy quiz on the Sarah Jane Adventures website from next week; Alien Encounters "promises fresh challenges and more monsters, including our old friends, the Sontarans!".




FILTER: - Sarah Jane

The Sarah Jane Adventures

Wednesday, 4 May 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The BBC have confirmed today that there are no plans to make any further episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures, which starred the late Elisabeth Sladen. Their statement reads:
Contrary to press reports today we can confirm that no new episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures will be filmed following the tragic death of actress Elisabeth Sladen in April, 2011. As a tribute to Elisabeth the six episodes that were recorded with her last year will be broadcast on CBBC at a date to be confirmed.

The statement comes after an article published by The Sun this morning indicated that the series would be continuing without the actress.




FILTER: - Sarah Jane

The Hand of Fear to be repeated

Tuesday, 26 April 2011 - Reported by Chuck Foster
The Radio Times have reported that The Hand of Fear is to be broadcast as a tribute to the late Elisabeth Sladen; the story was her last appearance as series regular Sarah Jane Smith alongside Tom Baker's portrayal as The Doctor.

The story will be broadcast on BBC4, with parts one and two on at 7:40pm and 8:05pm respectively on Monday 9th, and parts three and four in the same timeslots the following evening.



Episode details may be found both on the Radio Times and from our own Doctor Who Guide.




FILTER: - Classic Series - Sarah Jane - Elisabeth Sladen